The predictive factors for the posttraumatic growth of parents of burn children: a cross-sectional study.

Post-traumatic growth among parents of burn-injured children: A cross-sectional survey.

Objective: This study investigated the psychological symptoms and difficulties experienced by parents of children with autism.
 Method: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2021 and June 2022. The sample consisted of 218 parents of children aged 3-18 living in XX. The sample was divided into two: 110 parents of children with autism and 108 parents of healthy children.
 Results: Parents of children with autism had a mean age of 36.15±6.142, while parents of healthy children had a mean age of 36.65±7.057. More than half of the parents of children with autism stated that they worried about their children’s future and had difficulty taking care of other children of theirs, making time for themselves, and maintaining daily life. On the other hand, only a quarter of the parents of healthy children stated that they worried about their children’s future and had difficulty taking care of other children of theirs, making time for themselves, and maintaining daily life. Parents of children with autism had a significantly higher mean anxiety, depression and hostility subscale score than parents of healthy children (p<0.05).
 Conclusions: Parents of children with autism experience more difficulties and present with more symptoms of anxiety, depression, and hostility than parents of healthy children. Parents of children with special needs need to be psychologically reassured and supported.
 Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 23 No. 01 January’24 Page : 179-188

Background: Parents of children with intellectual and developmental disorders often experience potentially traumatic events while caring for their children. Heightened posttraumatic stress (PTS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) have been found in this population. Objective: We aimed to explore risk and protective factors for their PTS and PTG. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 385 parents (average age M = 43.14 years, SD = 7.40; 95.3% mothers). Results: Parenting trauma showed an adverse effect on developing PTS (beta = 0.25, p < .01) and a positive role in promoting PTG (beta = 0.16, p < .01). Social support was protective in its correlation with lower levels of PTS (beta = −0.12, p < .01) and higher levels of PTG (beta = 0.22, p < .01). Barriers to care were associated with increased PTS (beta = 0.23, p < .01), but unrelated to PTG (beta = .01, p = .855). Negative parenting showed a significant, but small, correlation with more severe PTS (beta = 0.11, p < .05), and was unrelated to PTG (beta = −0.09, p = .065). Conclusions: Our study increases the understanding of posttraumatic reactions in parents, predominantly mothers, of children with IDD and identified parenting-related trauma, social support, and barriers to mental health care as predictive factors of the reactions. More research is needed to confirm and validate the effects of the discussed factors. Although causation can not be inferred, prompt and adequate screening and therapeutic resources should be provided to those mothers who were exposed to multiple stressful caregiving events and had limited healthcare access and less support from their spouses, peers, and caregiving partners. HIGHLIGHTS Parents of a child with Intellectual and Developmental Disorders with parenting trauma had higher posttraumatic stress (PTS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Social support was related to lower PTS and higher PTG. Barriers to care were related to higher PTS but unrelated to PTG.

Background and aimsHealth-related quality of life (HRQOL) has garnered increasing interest especially for health care providers and researchers. The study aims to evaluate the HRQOL in parents of congenital heart disease (CHD) children, and to clarify the effect of the disease severity on the outcome of the HRQOL perception. Also, to analyze the internal consistency of the Arabic version of the World Health Organization (WHO) QOL-BREEF tool in order to determine whether the tool had good validity for the target population.MethodsA cross-sectional study. The HRQOL perception was evaluated using WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, and the internal consistency of the tool was tested using Cronbach’s alpha (α-C),ResultsThe study sample consisted of 200 individuals, 120 parents of CHD children, compared to 80 parents of children with minor illnesses (mean age of participating parents = 35.1 ± 9.8 years). While evaluating the HRQOL, the group of parents of children with minor illnesses had higher scores than the total group of parents of CHD children in all domains, indicating a better HRQOL.Class-IV subgroup of parents of CHD children showed the most significant lower total score of domains between all classes (44.47 ± 12, p < 0.001). With respect to the internal consistency of the WHOQOL-BREF, estimation of α-C values were 0.84 points for the group of parents of CHD children, and 0.87 for the group of parents of children with minor illnesses.ConclusionsThis short-term study emphasized that, HRQOL scores among parents of CHD children are compromised, and the severity of their children illness significantly affect the total score of domains in their HRQOL perception. Furthermore, the tool showed to be practical and efficient to evaluate the QOL of parents of CHD children in our population in future researches.

This study examined the posttraumatic growth (PTG) about parents of children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) and the correlates of PTG. A cross-sectional study. Parents (N = 388) of children with isolated CL/P (ages 3 months-18 years) who had at least one cleft surgery within an oral and maxillofacial surgery department of a university-affiliated tertiary hospital in a provincial capital in southwest China. Demographic information questionnaire, The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and Social Support Rating Scale were used for data collection. Parents’ mean PTG score was in the moderate range (M = 65.7, SD = 13.73). PTG differed regarding the participants’ sex, ethnicity, and educational background. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed that positive coping ( r = 0.43, P &lt; .01), negative coping ( r = 0.13, P &lt; .01), and social support ( r = 0.26, P &lt; .01) were positively correlated with PTG. Multiple regression model showed that 20.6% ( P &lt; .001) of the variance in PTG was explained by higher positive coping (β = 0.35, P &lt; .001), greater social support (β = 0.13, P = .01), and for cleft lip compared to cleft palate (β = −0.14, P ≤ .01), with no variance difference for cleft lip and palate. Parents of children with CL/P had moderate PTG. Potentially modifiable correlates of PTG suggest interventions to enhance parental positive coping and social support may increase PTG. Further studies are needed to confirm the PTG level and its affecting factors of parents of children with CL/P.

To describe the perceived burden on parents of children with severe or moderate haemophilia and the impact of sociodemographic aspects and the child's medical condition on this. Parents of children with haemophilia face a multitude of demands. The child needs frequent intravenous injections, hospital visits, extra supervision and care. The child's illness and related management might have psychosocial effects on the parents. A multicentre, cross-sectional study. Caregiver burden was evaluated in 102 parents of children with haemophilia, using the HEMOCAB questionnaire which consists of 54 items divided into 13 domains which are to be answered on a 5-point Likert scale. To assess the impact of sociodemographic aspects and clinical data on parental burden, linear regression analyses were undertaken. The study followed the STROBE checklist throughout the research process. Greater burden was seen in parents of children with past or present inhibitors, in parents of younger children, if a family member administered the clotting factor and in parents of children with overweight/obesity. No significant differences in burden were observed for type of haemophilia, if the child had bleeding in the past 12months, if the child self-infused, had another family member with haemophilia or if the parent had more children. Parental perceived burden can be negatively affected by the child's medical condition; our results underline that healthcare professionals need to be aware of increased parental burden if the child is young, has or had inhibitors and has overweight/obesity. More psychosocial support from the healthcare professionals needs to be directed towards parents of younger children and particularly the parents of young children with inhibitors, thus decreasing the parental burden. Parental burden may be reduced if healthcare professionals more actively treat overweight and refer children to appropriate specialists.

BackgroundAcceptance of COVID-19 vaccination was noticed to be less common among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders. This study aimed to explore the beliefs and willingness of parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders about COVID-19 vaccine and understand how certain factors influencing the vaccine decision-making process differ between them and other parents’ groups.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted between August to November 2021. An Arabic online survey was distributed in August 2021 to collect the study’s data. 400 parents from all the major regions in Saudi Arabia participated in and shared their beliefs about the new COVID-19 vaccination for their children.ResultsOut of 400 participants, 381 of them were eligible to answer the survey (95.2%). The total number of parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorder was 158 (41.5%), was compared to responses of parents of heathy children 223 (58.5%). 85 (53.8%) of them were ready to vaccinate their children with COVID-19 vaccine. While 36 (22.8%) were hesitant, the rest 37 (23.4%) did not want to vaccinate their children at all. Only a small number 16 (10.1%) have beliefs of vaccines as a cause of their child’s neurodevelopmental disorder. A total of 79 out of 131 responses were received from both parents’ groups. Fear of long-term side-effects was the most common reason reported by 41 responders out of 64 (64.06%) from parents of healthy children and 38 responders out of 67 (56.71%) from parents of diagnosed children. Another reason reported by parents of younger children in both groups was the child’s age. Having a healthcare relative worker was significantly associated with the vaccine decision making (p < .001).ConclusionThe acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccination of parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders was low compared to the parents of healthy children in Saudi Arabia. Authorities can benefit from this study results to offer more accessible information about the vaccine importance and safety to the targeted population.

The effectiveness of vaccination is maximized when accepted by a large proportion of the population. Although many studies indicate that children’s mortality and morbidity in COVID-19 are lower than in adults, vaccinating children is essential to control the epidemic. The importance of vaccination is particularly pronounced for children with rheumatological diseases, as they are more vulnerable to infectious diseases. This study aims to assess the attitude and awareness of the parents of children with rheumatological diseases and compare the results with parents of healthy children. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Children’s Medical Center in Tehran, Iran. The target population consisted of 2 groups: parents of children diagnosed with rheumatological diseases, defined as the case group, and parents of children with no underlying diseases, defined as the control group. Data were collected through a questionnaire filled out by the parents. The occurrence of vaccine complications in the close contacts significantly affected the vaccine acceptance (P = .001). Those who adhered to the pandemic measures were more likely to accept the vaccine (odds ratio [OR]: 14.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.09–99.61, P = .007). The case group was 12.5 times more likely to refuse vaccination (OR: 12.54, 95% CI: 2.24–70.24, P = .004). Additionally, vaccine refusal in the close contacts increased vaccine hesitancy by 8.5 times (OR: 8.41, 95% CI: 2.29–30.85, P = .001). However, the results must be interpreted cautiously due to a wide confidence interval and limited statistical power. Vaccine acceptance between the 2 groups of parents is significantly different. The reasons for refusing the vaccine indicate that parents of children with underlying diseases, who are at greater risk for COVID-19, require more education and reassurance from their physicians, since this group may find it more challenging to trust vaccination.

Objective:Parents of children with a medical condition and a visible difference can experience challenging situations. We evaluated distress and parenting stress in parents of children with a cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL±P) or a visible infantile hemangioma (IH).Setting:This cross-sectional study took place in an academic medical hospital in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.Participants:Three-hundred nine parents (mean age = 40.30, 56.00% mothers) of children with CL±P and 91 parents (mean age = 36.40, 58.24% mothers) of children with IH.Main Outcome Measures:The Dutch version of the Parenting Stress Index – Short Form and the subscales Anxiety, Depression, and Hostility of the Symptom Checklist – 90.Results:One sample t tests and mixed linear modeling were used. On average, parents of children with CL±P and of children with IH showed significantly lower parenting stress compared to normative data. Anxiety was significantly lower in parents of children with CL±P than that in the norm group. Visibility of the condition was not related to distress or parenting stress. Child behavioral problems were positively related to parenting stress, depression, and hostility.Conclusions:Parents of children with CL±P and IH report less distress and parenting stress compared to the norm. On average, these parents seem well adjusted. A practical implication is to monitor parents of children with behavioral problems.

Use of Outcomes Information in Child Mental Health Treatment: Results From a Pilot Study

Illness uncertainty in parents of children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) refers to parents' inability to create meaning in events related to their children having CAH. This may influence their role in caring for children with CAH. The study aimed to determine factors associated with illness uncertainty experienced by parents of children with CAH in a developing country. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 80 parents (43 mothers and 37 fathers) of children with CAH, selected using consecutive sampling methods. The Parent's Perception of Uncertainty Scale (PPUS) was used to measure the illness uncertainty levels. Data were collected from March 2020 to October 2020. Independent t-test and chi-square test were used to determine factors (parent's gender, age, educational level, monthly household income, number of children with CAH, history of child death due to CAH, child's age when first diagnosed with CAH, duration of therapy, gender change, type of CAH (salt wasting/SW or simple virilizing/SV), current gender, and genitoplasty) influencing illness uncertainty in parents. The mean scores of PPUS were 42.3 ± 12.91, and the majority of parents had a low PPUS score (49; 61%). Parents of children with SW-CAH showed higher uncertainty (44.2 ± 12.77) than those with SV-CAH (32.6 ± 8.86; p = 0.003). Parents who lost their children due to CAH were more likely to report a moderate illness uncertainty than parents who never experienced child mortality due to CAH (χ2(1, 80) = 4.893; p = 0.027). The factors significantly affecting uncertainty in parents of children with CAH determined in this study might help healthcare professionals, including nurses, to play a pivotal role in giving pertinent information regarding their children's health, disease, and therapy to help manage parental uncertainty.

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the associations between emotional regulation strategies, self-compassion and adaptive functioning in families of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) in comparison to families with typically developing (TD) children.Design/methodology/approachThis cross-sectional study used a comprehensive set of validated measures to assess emotional regulation strategies, self-compassion and adaptive functioning. The study cohort consisted of 116 parents; 58 parents of children with NDD and 58 parents of TD children. The mean age of the children was 6.40 years (SD = 1.82).FindingsThe findings indicate that higher self-compassion is associated with improved adaptive functioning, evidenced by reduced levels of internalizing (depression, anxiety, withdrawal, somatic complaints) and externalizing (aggressive behaviors) problems. Parents of children with NDD reported greater levels of depression, anxiety and withdrawal compared to parents of TD children. Parents of TD children used cognitive reappraisal more frequently and exhibited higher levels of self-compassion, whereas the use of expressive suppression was more prevalent among parents of children with NDD.Practical implicationsThese findings highlight the need for family-centered and tailored interventions that promote self-compassion and adaptive emotional regulation strategies to reduce internalizing and externalizing problems among parents of children with NDD. By providing comprehensive psychological support and accessible community resources, parental ability to cope with stress may be improved, fostering adaptive functioning that benefits both parents and children with NDD.Originality/valueThis study introduces a novel perspective on the importance of self-compassion and emotional regulation strategies in protecting and improving the mental well-being of parents with neurodevelopmental disorder children. It provides valuable insights for targeted interventions in NDD families, focusing on reducing the risk of mental health deterioration while promoting emotional resilience.

Objective To explore the correlation between post-traumatic growth (PTG) and sleep quality among parents of children with epilepsy. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 191 parents of children with epilepsy were selected from Shangdong Province Third Hospital by convenience sampling method, the questionnaire included socio-demographic questionnaire, the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results The score of PTGI and PSQI of parents of children with epilepsy were (28.63±10.85) and (5.97±3.72), respectively. The score of PTGI and PSQI in parents' health status with health, general, worse was (29.44±10.66), (25.28±11.26), (19.00±7.81) and (5.57±3.51), (7.23±3.53), (15.00±1.73), the difference was significant (F=3.07, 12.69, P<0.05 or 0.01). The score of PSQI in parents with or without major negative events was (8.50±4.16), (5.67±3.57), the difference was significant (t=-3.12, P<0.01). There was a negative correlation between PTGI and PSQI among parents of children with epilepsy (r=-0.159, P<0.05). Hierarchical regression analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation between the dimension of PTG appreciation life and the sleep quality of parents (B=0.455, P<0.01). Conclusions Parents with epilepsy have normal sleep quality, but at the same time have a certain level of PTG, and the level of PTG appreciated by parents is related to their sleep quality. Therefore, by promoting parents with epilepsy to actively appreciate life, it helps to alleviate their sleep problems. Key words: Children with epilepsy; Parents; Post-traumatic growth; Sleep quality; Related factors

A family with a disabled child has major changes and challenges. The difficulties experienced by the whole family are of various natures and relate to emotional, psychological, caring, and financial problems. The aim of the study is to learn about the challenges and involvement of Polish families in caring for a disabled child in the home environment. A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted in a group of 103 parents of disabled children. The proprietary questionnaire and a standardized scale for the Generalized Self-Efficacy Survey (GSES) were used as a research tool. The material for the study was collected online, using Google Forms software, and statistically processed. Emotional contact with a disabled child turned out to be the most difficult aspect of care for almost half of the respondents (42.7%). The vast majority of respondents (75.7%) described the level of difficulty in caring for a disabled child as much higher than the level of difficulty in caring for a healthy child. Most parents (87%) spend between 10 and 20% of their family income on the treatment and rehabilitation of disabled children. A significant relationship was noted between the assessment of the family’s economic situation and place of residence (χ2P = 27.32; p < 0.0001; Vc 0.51). Parents of children with disabilities who live in rural areas and have less education are less well off financially. The average GSES score was 24.54 and was in 4 sten. The biggest care challenge for parents of disabled children turned out to be emotional contact with the child. The GSES index for parents of children with disabilities is lower than the average values obtained in Polish studies, which translates into worse coping with problems.

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience posttraumatic growth (PTG). No study has investigated the moderating effect of social support and family function between symptom severity and PTG. The study aims to examine whether social support and family function moderate the relationship between symptom severity and PTG among parents of children with ASD. Using a cross-sectional design, a total of 385 parents of children with ASD were recruited from September 2019 to November 2020 by convenience sampling. Participants completed the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Social Support Rating Scale, Autism Behavior Checklist, and Family Apgar Index. Both social support (r=0.354, p < 0.01) and family function (r=0.379, p < 0.05) were significantly related to PTG. Although symptom severity was not significantly related to PTG (p > 0.05), social support moderated the correlation between symptom severity and PTG [β(SE)=-0.134 (0.719), p < 0.01, 95% CI=(-3.552, -0.723)]; the positive association was stronger for low social support [β(SE)=0.145 (0.054), t=2.675, p < 0.01, 95% CI=(0.038, 0.252)], while the negative association was weaker for high social support [β(SE)=-0.121 (0.051), t=-2.378, p < 0.05, 95% CI=(-0.221, -0.021)]. Family function did not moderate the relationship (p > 0.05). Higher social support appears to buffer the detrimental effect of symptom severity on PTG, and social support seems to be an important factor when delivering interventions aimed at decreasing symptom severity and improving positive growth. LAY SUMMARY: Both social support and family function were positively associated with PTG. Providing sufficient perceived social support and enhancing family function promoted parents' positive psychological experience. Higher social support seemed to buffer the detrimental effect of symptom severity on PTG, and it could be an important intervention target for improving the psychological growth of parents of children with ASD.